Folding leg furniture and mechanical movement therefor



Dec. 17, 1940. w H. STILES 2,225,512

FOLDING LEG FURNITURE AND MECHANICAL MOVEMENT THEREFOR Filed Aug. 19,1958 Patented Dec. 17, 1946 UNITED STATES FOLDING LEG FURNITURE ANDMECHANI- CAL MOVEMENT THEREFOR Wesley H. Stiles, Sandwich, 111.,assignor of fivetwelfths to Vivian S. Ide, Springfield, 111.

Application August 19, 1938, Serial No. 225,681

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in folding leg furniture andmechanical movement therefor.

An object of my invention is to provide an improvement in folding legfurniture, such as card tables and the like, wherein all the supportinglegs may be simultaneously moved from folded or inoperative positioninto unfolded or operative position, or vice versa, upon manipulation ofa 0 single operating lever through a comparatively short path ofmovement.

Another object is to provide in an improved folding leg table or thelike, a simple and wholly 2 automatic means rigidly to lock the legswhen unfolded and disposed in operative position,

against reverse movement.

A further object is to provide a novel mechanical movement, such as maybe used in folding leg furniture, wherein rotary movement of one elementabout one axis may be translated into oscillatory movement of a secondelement upon another axis.

A still further object .is to provide, in a mechanical movement fortranslating rotary movement to oscillatory movement, a torquemultiplying function, thus to enable the movement to be incorporated ina mechanical device without other torque multiplying means forrequirement as high as a ratio of two to one.

Other objects, the advantages and uses of the invention will becomeapparent after reading the following specification and claims, and afterconsideration of the drawing forming a part of this specification,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a folding leg table constructed inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the parts indicated in Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 2, of a modifiedembodiment of my invention; and

Fig. 6 is a schematic view illustrating another use of the mechanicalmovement employed in the folding leg table of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, I have illustrated therein oneembodiment of my invention as applied to a folding leg table, such as acard table.

The table top 2 may be of conventional form having a narrow apron 3, asusually provided in tables of this type. Two of the inner and oppositelydisposed Walls 4 of the apron 3 serve as a support for the folding legassembly.

This assembly may include a pair of rigid rods 5, either of solid ortubular form, oscillatably mounted at their opposite ends upon the walls4 in any desirable manner, such as by integral trunnions B. The rods 5are preferably disposed as close to the walls 4a of the apron 3 asoperation of the leg folding mechanism hereinafter dem scribed, willpermit. Table legs I are rigidly fixed, one at each end of the rods 5,so that each rod supports a pair of table legs, one adjacent each cornerof the table top 2. As shown in Fig. 1, I one pair of thelegs 1 may bemounted on its supporting rod 5 at a lesser distance apart than the legsof the remaining pair, thus to enable all four legs to lie in a commonplane parallel to the table top 2 when in their inoperative position, asshown in Fig. 1. The legs 1, like the rods 5, may be either solid ortubular as requirements dictate, and may be rigidly fastened to the rods5 as by Welding.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that rotary movement of the rods5 through arcs of from the position assumed in Fig. 1 will cause allfour of the legs 1 to move into operative or unfolded position with eachleg extending perpendicular to its adjacent corner portion of the tab-1etop 2.

Means for simultaneously so rotating the rods 5, and for returning themto the positions of Fig. 1, may comprise an operating shaft 8 extendingtransversely of the under side of the table top between the rods 5, andadapted for oscillation on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the rods5. In the drawing, I have shown the shaft.8 at substantially themid-point of the table top, but, if desirable, it may, of course, bedisposed along any axis drawn perpendicularly to and intercepting theaxes of the, rods 5. Each end of the shaft 8 is formed with an arm 9extending endwise therefrom at an angle of 45 from the axis of theshaft, as shownin Fig. 2, both arms 9 lying in a common plane andextending laterally relative to'the shaft in the same general direction.J

Each of the arms 9 carries adjacent its outer end a pin I l extendingperpendicular to the arm, and hence at an angle of,45 to the shaft 8,the 50 pins ll, arms 5 and shaft 8 all lying in a common plane. The pinsl l and arms9 are of such length and so related relative to the shaft 8and rods 5, that the mid-point of each pin ll intercepts the axis of oneof the rods 5. Each of the pins I I may 55 have secured thereto, as by athreaded cap screw l2, a bearing bushing and cooperating washer l3 and)4 respectively, as shown, upon which a roller sleeve I5 is rotatablymounted and restrained against longitudinal displacement.

The rods 5, at those portions in register with the crank arms providedby the elements 9, H and. I5, are slotted transversely therethrough toprovide parallel and spaced apart webs I6 between which the rollersleeves I5 lie. A pair of pins l1, one for each web l6, serve to providea. pivotal connection between each roller sleeve I5 and the adjacentwebs. The pins I! of each pairv are co-axial upon an axis interceptingthe point at which the axes of the roller sleeve l5 and rod 5 likewiseintersect.

Brackets I8 may be fixed to the under side of the table top for purposesof maintaining the operating shaft 8 against displacement from operativeposition, and to provide a. reaction bearing during oscillation of theshaft.

With the parts assembled as above described, it will be apparent that180 rotary movement of the shaft 8, in the direction of the arrow I9 ofFig. 1, will cause the rods! to rotate 90 from the position shown inFigs. 1 to 3 inclusive, this because of the change in position of the 45shaft crank arms, or from the full line position shown to a positionwherein the arms 9 assume the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig.2.

In order to facilitate manual operation of the shaft 8, as when theassembly is incorporated in folding leg furniture or the like, I secureto the shaft "8, a perpendicularly extending hand grip 2| which servesthe added function of limiting the oscillating movement of the shaft 8.

In the assembly of the parts, I prefer to so mount the hand grip 2| uponthe shaft 8 that when the shaft is turned to extend the table legs 1into operative position, the crank arms 9, II and 15 will move slightlyover dead-center, thusto render reverse movement of the operating partsimpossible by force applied to the extended legs. This arrangementassures rigid disposition of the table legs at all times when the tableis in use.

To fold the legs into their inoperative position, it is only necessaryto manually move the hand grip 2| from its dotted line position (Fig. 1)to its full line position, whereupon all four of the legs will be causedsimultaneously to move into the position assumed in Fig. 1. At eachlimit of operative rotary movement of the shaft 8, the hand grip 2! willengage with the bottom surface of the table top, thus accurately tomaintain the proper operating limits for full leg retraction and rigidlock-up when the legs are extended.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of the mechanism ilustrated inFig. 2, wherein the operating shaft 811. has formed integrally therewithboth arm 9a and pin Ila. The pin Ila, passes through a bore 23 formeddiametrically through a circular block 24 which in turn is journalledupon the webs 5a of the rod 5, as by trunnions 25. The axis of thetrunnions 25, it will be noted, intercepts the point of intersection ofthe axes of the shaft 8a. and pin I la. As in the case of the mechanismof Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, rotation of theshaft 8a through an arc of 180causes rotary movement of the rods 5 through an arc of 90 along an axisthat is perpendicular to that of the shaft 8a.

Although rotation of the shaft 8 or through a complete revolution of 360is not permissible in the environment in which these parts areillustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, because of their disposition uponthe table structure, were such complete revolution of the shaftpossible, the rods 5 would each simultaneously oscillate from theirstarting points through an arc of and back. This translation ofcontinuous rotary movement to oscillatory movement may be utilized forpurposes such as indicated in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 6, I have shown at 81) a drive shaft corresponding tothe shaft 8 which may be supported upon bearings 21. Intermediate thelength of the shaft 8b there is a portion thereof formed to provide asupport having its longitudinal axis disposed at 45 across the axis ofthe shaft 8b upon which a bushing and washer assembly ISb and Mb may becarried to provide a mounting for the bearing sleeve l5b'. The bearingsleeve I52), like its counterpart l5 of Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, may bepivotally connected by pins ill) to webs lBb on a driven rod 51).

Mounted upon thelower end of the rod 5b, in the apparatus of Fig. 6, Ihave shown an agitator 28 having fins 29, such as may be used in amixing machine, churn or clothes washing machine. The agitator 28 may belocated below the liquid or material level line of a suitable tank 3|,as shown.

In the apparatus of Fig. 6, continuous rotation of the shaft 81) willcause continuous oscillation of the rod 52) with its work member 28through an arc of 90, there being one complete cycle of oscillation foreach complete revolution of the shaft 81).

Since the travel of the shaft 8b during one revolution moves through apath of 360, and the total travel of the rod 5b is but during such onerevolution, the drive thus established is of a torque multiplying natureof a ratio of two to one, thus admirably fitting the drive to suchpurposes as described, and in particular, as a drive for washing machineagitators.

While I have herein illustrated and described certain specificembodiments of my invention, and suggested certain uses for themechanical movement embodied therein, such disclosure is intended forpurposes of illustration only, and not for purposes of limitation.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture comprising a top. a rotatable rod beneath andparallel with said top. a leg member connected with and extending radially from said rod, trunnion bearing means upon and axiallyperpendicular to said rod, cylindrical bearing means on said trunnionbearing means and manipulative as a conical pendulum for oscillatingsaid rod, and manipulation and locking means including a control shaftand a cylindrical bearing member rotatable with said shaft, said controlshaft being journalled for rotation about an axis below and parallelwith said top, and perpendicular to said rod, said bearing member beingdisposed with its axis intersecting that of the shaft at an angle ofsubstantially 45 degrees and being further disposed in complementaljournalled relation with said bearing means, said control shaftbeing-oscillatable between critical positions spaced 180 degrees tomanipulate said cylindrical bearing member for oscillating said rodbetween limits spaced 90 desaid leg being so positioned radially of therod that said leg is extended perpendicularly to the top when the rod islocked at one of said 90 degree limits and is folded adjacently to saidtop when the rod is locked at the other of said limits.

2. An article of furniture comprising a top, a rotatable rod beneath andparallel with said top, a leg member connected with and extendingradially from said rod, a connecting member connected with said rod forpivotal movement about an axis intersecting and perpendicular to theprincipal axis of said rod and projecting radially from the rod at anangle of substantially degrees with respect to the disposition of theleg member radially of said rod, and oscillatable manipulation andlocking crank means operably connected with the projecting portion ofsaid connecting member, said crank means being oscillatable about anaxis normal to the rod axis between limits spaced 180 degrees tomanipulate said connecting member for oscillatively displacing said rodbetween limits spaced degrees, said leg being so disposed radially ofthe rod that at one of said oscillative limits thereof the leg is foldedadjacently to said top and that at the other of said limits the leg isextended perpendicularly to said top, means preventing axialdisplacement of said crank means, and said crank means being disposedwithin a plane perpendicular to said rod when at either of said degreelimits to react against said axial displacement preventing means andthus lock said leg in either the extended or folded position.

3. An article of furniture comprising a top, a rotatable rod beneath andparallel with said top, a leg member connected with and extendingradially from said rod, a connecting member projecting radially fromsaid rod and having a con: nection therewith for accommodating simplepivotal movement of said member about an axis traversing such connectionat an angle of 90 degrees to said rod, said connecting member beingoperable through such connection for oscillating said rod pursuant tomanipulation of said member by oscillatively moving a projecting portionthereof within an arcuate path disposed within a plane parallel withsaid rod, a manipulation and locking member reversibly movable betweenlimits to manipulate said connecting member for oscillatively displacingsaid rod between limits spaced substantially 90 degrees, and anchoragemeans for said manipulation and locking memher, said leg being sodisposed radially of the rod that at one of said limits the leg isfolded adjacently tothe table top and that at the other of said limitsthe leg is extended perpendicularly to said top, and said manipulationand locking means being disposed in line with said connecting member andsaid anchorage means substantially within a plane normal to said rodwhen said rod is at either of its said limits of oscillative movementwhereby to cooperate with said oonnecting member in locking said rodagainst rotation while reacting against said anchorage means.

WESLEY H. STILES.

